Date Masamune (September 15, 1567-June 27, 1636) was a Daimyo in the Tohoku Region during the Azuchi Momoyama and early Edo periods. He expanded his territories and ruled most of the southern Tohoku Region before he surrendered to Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1590. After Hideyoshi's death, Masamune followed Tokugawa Ieyasu and participated in the Battle of Sekigahara and the 1st and 2nd Siege of Osaka Castle on Ieyasu's side. He became the lord of the Sendai han and founded Sendai City after the Tokugawa Shogunate was established. He also sent a mission to Rome, which was the first trans-oceanic trip by a ship built in Japan. He had only one eye, which later earned him the nickname "the One-eyed Dragon" (独眼竜).
Childhood
editDate Masamune was born in Yonezawa as the first son of the daimyo Date Terumune His mother was Yoshihime, sister of Mogami Yoshiaki. His childhood name was Bontenmaru (梵天丸). Bonten (梵天) is the Japanese name for Brahma, which has been incorporated into Buddhism. He contracted smallpox in 1571 and became blind in his right eye. It is said that event had a traumatic effect upon Masamune, which made Terumune decide to give Masamune an excellent education. The zen priest Kosai Soitsu (虎哉宗乙) became his teacher in 1572 (masamune 6), and Katakura Kagetsuna (also known as Katakura Kojuro) became his attendant and bodyguard in 1575. Kosai Soitsu taught Masamune buddhism and chinese, and Kagetsuna became Masamune's most trusted samurai and best friend.